Cruise Holiday Insurance
Cruise Insurance
Getting excited about that hol you’ve just booked? Good, we bet you are! But amongst all that prep and packing, it’s easy to let insurance become a bit of an afterthought. And while we know it’s not exactly the most exciting part of your holiday, it could well be the most important – so it’s good to make sure you get it right.
If you’ve struggled with knowing what your previous policies cover – or just hoped for the best and not bothered with insurance at all – then this guide is for you. To help you out, we’ll run through everything you need to know about travel insurance for cruises before you set sail.
Why is travel insurance important?
When it comes to cruise holidays, your peace of mind is key. You’re handing over your hard-earned money after all, and if anything is to go wrong with the holiday, you’ll want to know you’re in safe hands.
And though we wished there wasn’t, there are plenty of things that can happen before or during your travels – from delayed and cancelled flights to illnesses occurring while you’re abroad.
Cruise insurance is what covers you against these kinds of holiday mishaps. That’s good news, because whether it’s something small like a missed connection or something big like a pricey medical emergency, the last thing you want is a hiccup of any size spoiling your time away.
Does normal travel insurance cover cruises?
“Should I buy travel insurance for a cruise?” Our answer is always a resounding yes, but don’t simply buy a standard travel policy thinking it will cover your trip.
That’s because normal travel insurance doesn’t necessarily cover cruises, even for medical emergencies, cancellations, or baggage issues. You might find travel insurance plans that cover certain things, but you’ll struggle to find something that covers everything.
Basically, you’ll want to look out for any small print along the lines of “this policy will not cover you for any loss, damage, cost or expense directly or indirectly caused by any trip on sea-going cruise ships”.
Your best bet is, of course, to go with cruise-specific cover. In fact, with some lines, you might find you can’t cruise unless you have cruise cover – and may be denied boarding if this is the case.
Which providers offer cruise insurance?
There are quite a few options open to you, and policies can be bought through the cruise line you’re travelling with. A word to the wise, however, cruise line insurance policies might not always include emergency medical or evacuation benefits.
You can also purchase cruise insurance through travel agents and specific insurance providers, as well as at the Post Office and other high-street stores. The following insurance companies offer cruise cover:
· GoodToGo
Price comparison sites are a good go-to as well. You can filter your search results to make sure cruise cover is included, and you can compare several policies at once. We’d recommend the following price comparison sites:
· Confused
Bank accounts and credit cards sometimes offer travel insurance, but they often exclude cruise cover in the small print. They can, however, add it as an extra upon request.
Helpful tips for buying cruise insurance
Raring to go purchase some cruise insurance? Not so fast! Make sure you’re getting the best deals with these handy hints first:
- Think about where you’re travelling to on your cruise. Usually, most insurance providers will give you the option to select the region to where you’re travelling, such as Europe, USA, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, or Worldwide. The last one of these is important. If you’re travelling to three or more regions it may work out better to select Worldwide cruise insurance. Either way, be sure to read the small print to check that every country you visit is covered when purchasing your insurance.
- One of the best bits of a cruise is all those exciting excursions you’ll be going on. But when you’re browsing for insurance, make sure the policy covers you for the excursions you’ve gone for. As a general rule, travel insurance does not include Adventure Sports, Winter Sports and ‘dangerous activities’ (like shark diving) so if you have plans to partake in any of these activities, make sure it’s included in your cruise insurance policy.
- Some insurance companies will offer better deals depending on your age and who you’re travelling with, so it’s a good idea to try using some of the comparison sites we mentioned above to get a gauge on how much you should pay.
- If you’re travelling with under 16s, then it’s worth looking at family cruise travel insurance options to save time and money.
- Insurance usually comes in two forms: single-trip insurance and annual. If you’re going on a cruise as a one-off holiday, then a single-trip policy is probably your best bet. However, if you can see yourself travelling overseas multiple times during the year, it might work out better to choose the annual option.
- When is the best time to buy cruise insurance? We’d say straight after you’ve booked your cruise. The longer you leave to book your cruise insurance, the more expensive things will get – and you’ll only be covered if you purchase insurance before an incident that you want to claim on.
- Don’t forget to tell your insurer about any pre-existing medical issues you may have. It’s vital you do this before coming to any agreement, as failing to do so could invalidate your cover.
If you have any more questions relating to cruise holiday insurance, ask us on Twitter or Facebook and we’ll do our best to help.